by Snowball »
01 Mar 2020 00:05
Before two o'clock I was really worried about this game. I thought we'd lose, probably 0-2 or maybe 1-2 with a late consolation goal. Remember Barnsley had just won three on the trot.
But when the team was announced at 14:02 I felt better, although based on the 0-3 to Wigan I would have dropped Ejaria "for a rest" played Pele welded to the DM position and played Rhino as the box to box man. (So "wasn't sure" about Ejaria...)
I brought my grandson (a rugby fan) to his first soccer game. On the way he said he has never seen the team("his team") lose...
THE GAME
After ten minutes I told grandson, "They've already done twice as much as they did in the whole game v Wigan." For me they were like a totally new eleven.
Though we are always capable of letting in a stupid goal, the game just SMELLED like it would be a good RFC day out.
Some of the bloopers were ridiculous. You could see the lack of belief/confidence, but, saying that, there are times when you could imagine this eleven, this squad, this squad with two additions, going on a run and scoring goals for fun (probably next season, now). My few words review would be "Flashes of Brilliance With Bloopers"
I may be wrong but I can't remember Barnsley opening us up with THEIR football. Most of their chances (as I remember) seemed to come from horror moments from RFC players (Morrison, Obita for example). I've tried, but I can't for the life of me remember the play on 45+2 minutes when Rafael won the game for us with those two back-to-back saves. Was that a Barnsley move that cut us open, or another slip/cock-up/gift? But they were a pair of EXCELLENT saves. Had we conceded on the stork of half-time, it's very likely we'd have lost.
SWIFT.
For me, close to his best game for us, EVER. He RAN the game. He was mature, defended, got us out of tight scrapes, played what seemed like dozens of simple balls that were just right. I'm sure he made mistakes but for me he was our MoM by a country mile.
MEITE
I love him to bits, but (most of the time) he's just a lump. BUT he got a goal. No question it's his goal, and top strikers score of all their bits. As I said, he's not delicate Swift or stick to my boots Ejaria, but there was one passage where he dribbled brilliantly on the edge of our box to get us out of trouble. I'd play him regularly as a RW (tho' today he won more headers than he usually does)..
But I don't think EVER we will be able to call him an intelligent footballer.
PUSCAS
I really hope he stays with us. I think, when we learn how to play to his strengths he will EASILY get 20+ goals a season. For me, that was his best all-round game yet (better than Wigan away or Cardiff home). He threatened all game and the reason he only got a single goal was down to his team-mates, rather than him. His goal was excellent so oxf*rd Dellor ("Inadvertently turned the defender!" WTF?) and he looked dangerous all game, had one great cross that Meite should have done better with.
PS Did anyone notice Meite didn't acknowledge the cross. Are they not buddies? Didn't look like it....
EJARIA
Jeez I love this guy, warts and stumbles and all. He is a breath of fresh air. I LOVE his audacity, the weird things he does. He is a special talent, and if we carefully develop him he could be a 20 Million Pound player. Much better more central, occasionally brilliant at ball-winning, sometimes does the impossible. When he loses ball, people seem to forget that's because ehe often has 3 defenders closing him down.
RHINO
I like his energy but particularly like his recovery speed when he makes an error. When Ejaria and Swift play (not so quick or direct) I feel he needs to play (but then I think Pele in front of our back four is superb)... I dunno... but Rhino is one of the few who moves quickly, who inspires, who injects power into the side. As a side we lack oomph, the crude "Long" power, the pace of Kebe, the batter the centre-backs persistence of Noel Hunt. I think we are better with Rhino in.
MASikA
Woooooh! Yes please! Very impressed. Hard-working, speedy, tricky, more promising than early Kebe. It was interesting tom hear the crowd desperately wanting his to get the ball. This guy could be a gem.
MoM Swift (09)
Close for Puscas and Rafael
